Camping
Camping
One of the core fundamentals of Scouting is learning outdoor skills and gaining an appreciation for nature and the outdoors. Troop 184 puts this into full motion with weekend camping, Boy Scout summer camp, and other activities away from our regular troop meeting space.
Weekend Camping
Troop 184 goes camping on the weekends 6-7 months out of the year. We don't go camping during the extreme cold months, opting instead for another activity. The campsites we regularly visit are Camp Winnebago, Camp Lewis, Camp Alpine, Camp Durlands and others. Most camps are within an hour of River Edge, but there are some campgrounds that are a little further away.
At the campouts, the "patrol method" is in full effect. Scouts work with their patrols to cook their own meals, engage in activities as a a patrol unit, tent with their patrol-mates, and perform a patrol skit at the Saturday night campfire. All of this is done under the leadership of their patrol leader, a First Class scout who has earned the rights and responsibilities of this role.
Summer Camp is a big part of the Troop 184 calendar. Each year, the troop packs up and heads to camp for two weeks. This may seem like a long time for a scout to be away from home, but in reality, it's not that long considering what the scouts can achieve. What sets Troop 184 apart from many other Boy Scout troops is that we still maintain the "patrol method". Scouts cook together with their patrols in the campsite instead of attending the meals at the camp dining hall. By doing this, the patrols maintain and built connections within the troop, and the bonds grow stronger and deeper.
Scouts at summer camp take full advantage of all the activities and programs offered. Merit badge classes are offered that are not as easily accessible at home. Over the two weeks, scouts can complete up to eight merit badges! Other rank advancement activities are scheduled by the troop long before we leave, making summer camp that much more valuable to the scouts that are working toward the next rank.
But it can't all be work, can it? Of course not. There's plenty of time for other activities that the camp has to offer, from zip lining to the climbing wall to the trading post. And then there's "middle weekend". Most summer camps are set up for troops to attend one week. They close out each week on Saturday and welcome new troops on Sunday. Since Troop 184 is there for two weeks, we need to find something to do Saturday night. Enter "middle weekend". We escape the camp and head into town, enjoying the day out with pizza, a movie and ice cream for dessert! During this time, the scouts have a chance to call home, to say hello to Mom and Dad before gearing up for their second week of summer camp.
At the end of summer camp, the scouts come home dirty and tired, but with experiences, achievements and knowledge gained that wouldn't have been by staying home.
Summer Camp
SUMMER CAMP 2023
PROMO VIDEO
Other Trips We Take
As much as Boy Scouts is about camping, cooking and hiking, sometimes the troop chooses another activity to get us all together. The troop takes destination trips every couple of years, to places like Washington, D.C., Gettysburg and Boston. We also will occasionally engage in an Urban Hike, where we hike through nearby city, like NYC or Newark. Additionally, each year we hold a father-son event in February, where we invite the scouts and their fathers to eat together at a local restaurant and take part in a group activity.
At the end of each scouting year, Troop 184 prides itself on providing meaningful experiences for our scouts and families, whether it be at a troop meeting, summer camp or a historical trip to another city.